Act 1, Scene 4: Limbo

Setting: This scene is played in a classic shadow theater setup. A back projection screen is lowered in front of the puppet stage, and a row of bright projection lamps (or actual digital projectors) lighting it up from behind. Shadows of the characters are cast onto the screen by either placing the original three dimensional rod puppets or specially made, flat, traditional shadow puppets between the light source and the screen. We see the Limbo, a world where the Souls of the people on earth live in the form of animals. Mortals don't see well here (unless they're telepathic), so the world seems flat, and the view becomes hazy after a short distance. There is some shadow grass, and a few leafless shadow trees. At first, only one third (or less) of the stage is lit, and the field of view expands the further Alice proceeds into Limbo.
Stage setup
3x ProjectorNex, Lunoset up projectors. open and close shutter during scene
stepJohannFor Pan, in front of second playrail in [3].
Height 20 cm.
3x torchLeeTaiger, Liam, Reesawhen lowering the screen
Backdrop
Left: Rehab center bedroom (same as 1-3)
Middle: Rehab center bedroom (same as 1-3)
Right: Rehab center bedroom (same as 1-3)
On 2nd rail
metal bedSilverHorse, ShyWolfis set up later
On playrail
Back projection screenLiam, LeeTaiger
Hand props & personal props
swarm of mini-demonsSehkeba, 2ndVoice, Aiko, Reesa
stickLiam
bat demonKida
snake demonRen
fish demonDinoEx
More and more demonsSehkeba, 2ndVoice, Aiko, Reesa
Demon_1Kobato
Demon_2Fuaran
Special effects
Back projection Media (sub setting 1)FOH_Screen_Ops
PreRec
RonaVoice: Kida
RoleActorHandsVoicePuppetCostume
AlicePanLiamAliceAlice_Casual
HazeTanio'wolf, KayjayHazeNone
Demon_3CurryDemon_3_SPNone
RonaShishiNoneRona_SPNone
PartTime
Intro**00:00 **
Dialogue**00:00 **
**Scene Total****00:00 **

TECH PREROLL

%LIG% LX 0099 - Work Light OFF (Static Playbacks)

%LIG% LX 1400 - STANDBY for GO: DBO with dim blue reading light (link to LX 0002)

%MIX% Check Levels
%MIX% Unmute Desk

%MIX% Pan: ON

%MIX% Curry: OFF
%MIX% Tani: OFF


INTRO

%SND% Sound of someone listening to heavy metal on headphones.

%SND% Heavy Metal Door Opens

Cooper (from afar): "Anybody home? Poison?"

%SND% Footsteps, cooper walking up to poison

Cooper (in jest): "So what kind of porn are we watching this time?"

%SND% Sound of cooper grabbing something

%SND% Music from headphones stops

Poison (annoyed): "Cooper, what the fuck! Gimme my phone back!"

Cooper: "Heh! The music forum. Boooring!"

Poison (sarcastic): "Yes, believe it or not, porn's not the only thing I use my phone for!"

Cooper: "Too bad, because I like your taste when it comes to inter-species gang bang bukkake contest gameshow videos!"

Poison: "THAT WAS ONE TIME!"

Cooper: "And yet, the best choice you ever made!"

Poison (awkward): "I don't know what's more awkward: That you watch my porn, or that you like it."

Cooper: "Poise, it's okay! You gotta learn how to be less uptight about the whole sex thing, or you'll never get laid!"

Poison (slightly irritated): "Maybe I'm just not as desperate as you think? By the way, how's your hitting on Alice working out? Got any bunny tail yet?"

Cooper: "(laughs) Oh come on, you're not taking that seriously, are you? Even if she wasn't gay, I mean, she's so deep in my friend zone ... even if she told me to do her right here on the drum set, I don't think I could."

Poison: "You're her cuddly lion daddy!"

Cooper: "You're saying that like it's a bad thing."

Poison: "It's weird!"

Cooper: "Why? You know what we all have in common? The families we come from don't give a shit about us any more. But we found each other, and now the Demön HünterZ are our family! At least that's how it feels to me! So if Alice wants me to be her cuddly lion daddy, I'm more than happy to be!"

Poison: "So what's MY role in this family?"

Cooper: "You're that weird uncle who keeps talking about his time in the war, but never says which war, and you're pretty sure he was never in the military."

Poison: "Is it really that bad?"

Cooper: "*snickers* No. Your porn bookmarks are always top notch!"

Poison: "(groans) Speaking of which: My phone? Please?"

Cooper: "Alright, here you go."

Poison: "Thanks. I was in the middle of posting a message."

Cooper: "To the music forum? What'cha writing about?"

Poison: "I'm looking for singers."

Cooper: "What for?"

Poison: "Just in case."

Cooper: "Just in what case?"

Poison: "In case Alice doesn't kick her addiction!"

Cooper: "Poise, are you out of your mind? You're looking for her replacement, just when she needs us the most?"

Poison: "I'm the one who's paying for her rent right now for fucks sake!"

Cooper: "With money you never had to work for!"

Poison: "I want to work for my money! But guess what keeps me from doing that."

Cooper: "Beats me!"

Poison: "I'm stuck in a band without a singer!"

Cooper: "Bullshit! Alice is our singer! Without her, we wouldn't be the Demön HünterZ anymore!"

Poison: "At the end of the day, everyone is replaceable."

Cooper: "Oh, is that one of these pearls of wisdom your CEO dad taught you?"

Poison: "Business is one of the few things he does well."

Cooper: "Yeah, even if it means putting your own son on the street for not finishing his bloody MBA and deciding to be a bass player instead!"

Poison: "You can make a pretty good living with music if you're good enough! Just look at Fox!"

Cooper: "Do you think when you finally earn enough money, your dad will realise how wrong he was and welcome you back home? Forget it! And yes, Fox is good at what he does, but another reason he's doing so well is that he'd never lets his friends down! Ever!"

Poison: "I literally gave Alice everything I had!"

Cooper: "Except your trust. Going to rehab isn't a small thing. Admitting to yourself that you lost control of your life, and that you need to get professional help is bloody hard! It takes a strong will and a lot of courage, right at a time when those are the things you don't have! She wouldn't have been able to do it just for herself. She did it for us. She knows we depend on each other. And she saw what you did for her. She wants to pay you back, and she will, I know it."

Poison: "Yes, Lion Daddy."

Cooper: "God, why is it so hard for you to ever admit a mistake!"

Poison: "So what am I supposed to do now?"

Cooper: "Go flip some burgers, like everyone else in this situation?"

Poison: "But that's not ..."

Cooper: "No, it's not music. But it's gonna pay the bills until Alice is back, and then we can be rock stars again!"

Poison: "I'm not really good at this whole friendship thing, am I?"

Cooper: "And that's why I'm telling you. Forget what your dad told you, and listen to your heart. The safety of our little surrogate family and our little castle that is our rehearsal room is so much more important for us than money right now! You're my best buddy, because I know that in your heart, you're a really good guy. You just have to stop trying to make business sense of everything."

Poison: "It's harder than you think."

Cooper: "I know. And I'm gonna stop now. Next time I'm wrong, you have the full right to give ME the talk, okay?"

Poison: "Okay. And what do you think ... is Alice going to be alright? Maybe we should pay her a visit?"

Cooper: "I'm sure she's in good hands. But why not. How about tomorrow?"


DIALOG

%AMB% AMB-1401 - Shadow World Ambience

%ATT% Set up the Back projection screen

%HND% ALL Projector lights on!

%VID% VID-1401 - Fade in left Projection Segment
%MUS% MUS-1401 - Music Cue 01

%HND% Curtain - open

%ACT% Alice comes in from [7]

Alice: "Wow. Wooooooow. What kind of trip is this? Or is this how it feels when you die?"

%ACT% Alice slowly walks forwards

Alice: "HEY, GOD! Can you hear me? We need to talk!"

%SND% SND-1401 - FlutterFlutterFlutter

%HND% A little swarm of mini-demons flutters up and away like a flock of insects

### Number of mini-demons to be defined

Alice (in shock): "YIKES!"

%ACT% Alice clutches her chest

Alice (breathes hard): "Holy crap, my poor heart..."

%MIX% Tani: ON

%SND% SND-1401b - Sounds of a fight, growling, ghost sounds

%ACT% Alice walks forward carefully

%VID% VID-1403 - Fade in middle projection Segment
%SND% SND-1402 - Triple Demon Flying Sounds
%SND% SND-1401 - FADE

%ACT% Haze in [3-4] is fighting two larger, red, evil demons Demon_1 and Demon_2 in [4-5]. They keep flying up, and diving down on her like birds of prey, latching on to her, like they want to suck the life out of her.

%SND% SND-1403a - Triggered: Biting Sounds 1
%SND% SND-1403b - Triggered: Biting Sounds 2
%SND% SND-1403c - Triggered: Biting Sounds 3
%SND% SND-1403d - Triggered: Biting Sounds 4

%ACT% Haze manages to shake them off, and jumps at them, trying to bite them.

%HND% Demon_1and Demon_2 attack her again, and manage to push her down.

Alice: "Hey you, leave her alone, whatever you are! Shoo! Shoo!"

%MIX% Curry: ON

%ACT% Alice tries to shoo the demons away.

%HND% Demon_1 and Demon_2 swiftly avoid her waving arms, taking turns keeping Haze down

%ACT% Demon_3 appears in [3] from the void, laughing at Haze/Alice, mocking them

Demon_3: "I saw you you kiss her again! Didn't I tell you not to do that? What did I do to deserve a daughter like you! Didn't daddy teach you right? Does daddy need to teach you how the birds and the bees do it all over again? Come here! Come to daddy! Come to daddy! Come to daddy! Muhahahah!"

%ACT% Demon_3 rubs himself all over Haze

Alice: "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her!"

%ACT% Alice picks up a stick and, without thinking, begins to beat up the demons

%SND% SND-1402 - FADE
%SND% SND-1404 - Single Demon Flutter
%SND% SND-1405 - Demon 1 Hit / Flutter / Screech
%SND% SND-1406 - Demon 2 Hit / Flutter / Screech

%HND% Demon_1 and Demon_2 screech, flutter around, and flee

%ACT% Demon_3 flies upwards until he's out of reach

%MUS% MUS-1402 - Music Cue 02

Demon_3: "Alice! Why are you making daddy so sad?"

Alice (suddenly afraid): "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

Demon_3: "You should have listened to me, but nooo, you ran away, like the little useless bitch you are!"

%ACT% Alice walks backwards

Alice: "Dad?"

Demon_3: "You should have done what I told you, Alice. Daddy is going to give his naughty little girl what she deserves!"

Alice: "Oh no, daddy, please no!"

%ACT% Demon_3 dives down and knocks Alice off her feet by punching / flying directly into her face

%SND% SND-1407 - Triggered: Demon 3 dive
%SND% SND-1408a - Triggered: Demon 3 hit

%ACT% Alice tries to defend herself, but eventually falls over backwards

Alice: "*shrieks*"

%ACT% Haze slowly gets up, eyes fixed on Demon_3

Demon_3: "A good girl always does what her daddy says, Alice!"

%ACT% Demon_3 hits Alice while she's down

%SND% SND-1408b - Triggered: Demon 3 hit

Demon_3: "Naughty girl!"

%ACT% Demon_3 hits Alice again and again, who doesn't know how to defend herself

Demon_3 (repeating): "Naughty girl!"

%SND% SND-1408c - Triggered: Demon 3 hit

%ACT% Alice cries

Alice: "Yes, daddy, I'll be a good girl, I promise! Just please stop beating me!"

%ACT% Haze jumps and grabs Demon_3 with her fangs

%SND% SND-1408d - Haze Attacks
%MUS% MUS-1403 - Music Cue 03

%ACT% Haze shakes her head, like she's trying to break the demon's neck.

%ACT% Haze throws Demon_3 away from Alice

%SND% SND-1409 - Dramatic Sounds of Wind and Thunder
%SND% SND-1404 - FADE

%ACT% Demon_3 gets catapulted upwards

Demon_3: "Daddy's gonna find out where you live, and then he'll be back! Daddy will come back and teach you how to be a good girl, Alice! Hahaha!"

%ACT% Demon_3 laughs maniacally

%ACT% Demon_3 flies out of focus, and disappears

%MIX% Curry: OFF

%ACT% Alice sobs, and tries to stand up, but is too weak, so she just sits there

%ACT% Haze nudges Alice

Haze: "Hey, Alice. It's alright. He's gone. At least for now."

%ACT% Alice looks up

Alice: "Who are you?"

%MUS% MUS-1404 - Music Cue 04

Haze: "I am you."

Alice: "I don't get it."

Haze: "We're two parts of the same person, like the sides of a coin. How can you not know this?"

Alice: "Do you also have a name?"

Haze: "My name is Haze."

Alice: "Can I ... touch you?"

Haze: "If it makes you feel better ..."

%ACT% Alice carefully touches Haze's snout with a paw

Alice: "This is the best trip ever!"

%ACT% Alice hugs Haze tightly

Haze: "YIP!"

Alice: "Awwww! You feel so good ..."

%MUS% MUS-1405 - Music Cue 05

Haze: "Yeah, I'm kinda fluffy, I guess ..."

Alice: "Not just that ... it's like a part of me that went missing is suddenly back! What were those trash talking flying things?"

%MUS% MUS-1406 - Music Cue 06

Haze (accusing): "Do I have to explain everything to you? They're demons. YOUR demons. YOUR demons who keep haunting ME. They used to be nothing more than a nuisance, but over time they grew and multiplied, and now I can barely fend them off any more!"

Alice: "The one that attacked me was super scary. It sounded exactly like my father!"

Haze: "Don't be afraid! You're far away from home now! He can no longer abuse you!"

Alice: "But the memories are still there. Thanks for keeping up the fight, my little soul!"

%ACT% Alice strokes Haze's muzzle

Haze: "It's the least I can do."

%PRE% PRE-1401 - Rona: "ALICE! I CAN FEEL YOU'RE CLOSE! COME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"
%MUS% MUS-1407 - Music Cue 07

%ACT% Alice perks up and looks around

Alice: "The voice! There it is again!"

Haze: "*SIGH* Poor Rona. It's been going on like this for days. Her demons got her bad!"

Alice: "For days? And you're just sitting here doing nothing?"

Haze: "I tried to help, but her demons are too strong for me!"

Alice: "Well, I guess it's up to me then."

%ACT% Alice walks past Haze towards [2], following the voices

Haze: "No, please don't go! I know it's heartbreaking, but you can't help her! You'll get yourself hurt! And that means I'll get hurt, too! I don't want to get hurt! It hurts enough already!"

Alice: "What was her name again?"

Haze: "Rona. Her name is Rona."

%MUS% MUS-1408 - Music Cue 08

Alice (shouting): "Hang in there, Rona! I'm coming!"

%ACT% Haze whines

%ACT% Alice walks on

%VID% VID-1404 - Fade in right projection Segment

%ACT% Rona lies there on her back in [2], motionless, she looks like she has just lost a fight

%ACT% Alice runs until she's next to Rona

%PRE% PRE-1402 - Rona (whispers): "Alice! I'm so glad you came!"

Alice: "What the hell happened to you?"

%PRE% PRE-1403 - Rona (wispers): "Listen, Alice. *wheeze* *cough* The demons ... they're no longer just my own. They belong to other souls, but something ... someone is turning them against me and others! It's like they're building an army! Soon they'll be after you, too, Alice!"

Alice: "Who are you, and how do you know me?"

%PRE% PRE-1404 - Rona: "Can't ... explain ... I'm running ... I'm running out of time ... *wheeze*"

%ACT% Rona twitches and stops moving

Alice: "Rona?"

%ACT% Alice shakes Rona. No answer.

Alice: "Haze, what am I supposed to do?"

%ACT% Haze is shaking with fear

Haze (scared): "Run away as fast as you can!"

%ACT% Alice gently strokes Rona's fur.

Alice: "She is so beautiful! And just like you, she seems so incredibly familiar!"

%MUS% MUS-1409 - Music Cue 09 (in this world)

Haze (scared): "We have known each other for a long time. In this world, she's been the closest friend I've ever had. But one day, our demons drove us apart."

Alice: "Well, I don't see any demons right now!"

Haze (scared): "But they'll be back!"

Alice: "Don't you feel sorry for her?"

%ACT% Alice gently strokes Rona's body

Haze: "Believe me, seeing her suffer breaks my heart, but you don't know what you're up against!"

%ACT% Haze reluctantly walks up to Rona, and licks her head

Alice: "I don't know why, but I just feel drawn to her."

Haze: "That's because she is a kindred soul of someone you once held very dear."

Alice: "Oh my god. Rose!"

Haze: "Your bond with her must still be very strong, or you would not have been able to hear her calling across the divide!"

Alice: "She must be in trouble! Bad trouble!"

Haze: "If her demons catch our scent we'll be in even worse trouble!"

%MUS% MUS-1410 - Music Cue 10

Alice: "Shit, Haze, this might be MY fault!"

Haze: "Oh no, we've been through this a hundred times: There was no other choice, you had to leave home, or god knows what dad would have done to you. IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT. And now let's get out of here while we still can!"

%ACT% Alice picks up her stick again

Alice: "No, I'm not going to leave her behind again! Come here, demons, this time I'm ready!"

Haze: "No you're not!"

%ACT% Haze tries to pull Alice back by the back of her coat

%HND% A tiny little bat demon flies by, like a little bat, and begins to land on Rona

%SND% SND-1410 - Bat Demon Flutter

Alice: "Hah!"

%ACT% Alice swings her stick, and hits the bat demon like a baseball, and it gets catapulted out of view

%SND% SND-1411 - Hit / Flutter / Scree
%SND% SND-1410 - FADE

%HND% A second, larger snake demon creeps along the floor like a snake

%SND% SND-1412 - Demon Flutter Crescendo

%HND% A third, moderately large fish demon swims through the air like a fish

%ACT% Alice beats at the fish demon a few times, before it finally crashes to the ground and disappears

Alice: "Leave ... this ... helpless ... soul ... alone!"

%SND% SND-1413a - Triggered: Demon Hit
%SND% SND-1413b - Triggered: Demon Hit
%SND% SND-1413c - Triggered: Demon Hit
%SND% SND-1413d - Triggered: Demon Hit

%SND% SND-1413e - Haze Attacks
%MUS% MUS-1411 - Music Cue 11

%ACT% Haze growls at the larger snake demon as it creeps towards her, and grabs it with her fangs, shaking it

%HND% More and more demons come in

%ACT% Alice and Haze fight back, but they keep getting driven backwards

%ACT% Alice cries out in pain as the demons begin to bite her

%SND% SND-1414 - Lots of Demons Attacking

%HND% More and more demons begin to feed on Rona

Haze: "Run, Alice, run!"

Alice: "Run where?"

Haze: "Where you came from!"

Alice: "But I don't know where that is! AIIIIEA!"

%SND% SND-1415 - Painful Sound

%ACT% Alice stumbles, stopping to fight

%ACT% Alice coughs, and convulses

Alice: "Haze ... help me ..."

%ACT% Alice falls down, and lies on the playrail

Haze: "There's only one safe place for you ..."

%ACT% Haze grabs Alice, and drags her out of the frame towards [7]

%VID% VID-1404 - Fade out all three panels
%MUS% MUS-1412 - Music Cue 12

%SND% SND-1414 - FADE
%SND% SND-1412 - FADE
%SND% SND-1416 - Dream Sequence
%AMB% AMB-1401 - FADE
%AMB% AMB-1402 - Clinic Ambience

%HND% Turn off all Projector lights as soon as animation has finished

%HND% Remove Back projection screen: Liam, LeeTaiger, Reesa. Everyone else stay away from the play rail!!!

%HND% Set up metal bed in [4]

%ATT% We're back in the room where Alice is held. It's all dark, and there is only a spot of faint blue light on the hospital bed, suggesting it's deep in the night. (No backdrops need to be set).

%SND% SND-1416 - STOP
%SND% SND-1417 - Scary Switch Noise
%MUS% MUS-1413 - Music Cue 13

%LIG% blue light on metal bed

%ACT% Alice is lying on her metal bed, curled up with the puppet version of Haze like yin and yang

Alice: "We're back, aren't we?"

Haze: "Yes."

Alice: "And you're still here."

Haze: "Yes."

Alice: "Why?"

Haze: "You wouldn't have made it alone. So I came with you."

Alice: "I can't stop thinking about Rose. I have to find her!"

Haze: "When you heard Rona's call - was it faint and muffled? Or was it loud and clear?"

Alice: "Loud enough to drown out a heavy metal band."

Haze: "That means she can't be far away. We might be able to sniff her out!"

Alice: "The only thing I can sniff is coke."

Haze: "Silly bunny! Of course I mean that *I* might be able to sniff her out. Her scent is quite distinctive."

Alice: "How do you know?"

%MUS% MUS-1414 - Music Cue 14

Haze: "I know everything you know."

Alice: "I wish I knew everything YOU know!"

Haze: "So do I, but apparently that's not how the world works. But what do you say, shall we go find her?"

Alice: "I can barely walk across the room."

Haze: "But now you have me by your side! And if someone tries to get at you, I'm gonna rip them to shreds!"

Alice: "*chuckles* Where have you been all my life?"

Haze: "RIGHT WITH YOU! ALL THE TIME! You can't imagine how often I wished I could BITE you to make you realize that!"

Alice: "*chuckles* I can imagine. Okay then, let's try this. They don't seem to be watching the cameras, or they'd already be here. Let's see if the old credit card trick works on this door ..."

%MUS% MUS-1415 - Music Cue 15

Haze: "If only you cared for yourself the same as you care for others ..."

Alice: "Oh shut up. You're not my conscience!"

Haze: "Well, actually ..."

Alice: "Which part of shut up did you not understand?"

Haze: "Dr. Haze knows what is best for you! And what you need most right now IS an extra large dose of cuddles!"

Alice: "Oh Yes!"

Haze: "Come here, I'll keep you safe and warm."

%ACT% Alice hugs Haze closely

Alice: "Mrrrrr ... "

%AMB% AMB-1402 - FADE

%LIG% LX 1499 - Lights out

%MIX% Fade Ambience, SFX and Music with LX 1499

%HND% Curtain - close

%MIX% Mute all but Video

%LIG% LX 0099 - Work Light ON (Static Playbacks)

%LIG% LX 0098 - House Lights 25% ON (Static Playbacks)

%LIG% LX 0090 - Indirect Ambient Lighting ON (Static Playbacks)